1Department of VIP Healthcare, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University, Qingdao   266003, Shandong Province, China

2Department of Endocrinology, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University, Qingdao   266003, Shandong Province, China

Nailong Yang★, Master, Chief physician, Department of VIP Healthcare, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University, Qingdao   266003, Shandong Province, China Yang NL, Xu LL, Yang F. Neural cell co-culture induced differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neuronal-like cells. Neural Regen Res 2008;3(6):581-4

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It has been previously demonstrated that the neural cell microenvironment has the ability to induce differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into the neural cells.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a co-culture system of human BMSCs and neural cells, and to observe effects of this co-culture system on differentiation of human BMSCs into neural cells.

DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A comparative observation experiment, performed at the Center Laboratory of the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University from October 2006 to December 2007.

MATERIALS: Neural cells were obtained from human fetal brain tissue. BMSCs were harvested from female patients that underwent autonomous stem cell transplantation.

METHODS: BMSCs in the co-culture group consisted of BMSCs and third passage neural cells. BMSCs in the control group were solely cultured in vitro.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morphological changes of BMSCs were observed, and expression of the neuronal specific marker, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining after 4–5-day co-culture.

RESULTS: The number of neural cells in the co-culture group increased and the cells spread on the culture bottle surface. Radial dendrite formed and connected with each other. NSE-immunoreactive cells were also detected. The positive ratio of NSE-positive cells reached (32.7±11.5)%, with morphological characteristics similar to neuronal cells. Human BMSCs did not express NSE in the control group.

CONCLUSION: The microenvironment provided by neurons induced differentiation of BMSCs into neuronal-like cells.

Key Words: bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; stem cell transplantation; cell differentiation; neurons

Full text:click